Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

[Pittauro]

pony Twilight is not in a good place. Velvet can't (directly) help right now. But she CAN enable other people to help.

Yes, those two semi-actions on Twilight were potentially wasted if we don't bring her back. To me, better wasting them that adding another major sin against our Twilight.

 

[Arrkhon]

[X] Return home, with Diary and Frangiclave, and fulfill your bargain with the Daughter-of-Axes. (End the dream, and redistribute your remaining action points.)
I feel that cutting this short, despite all the fancy dangling threads would be for the best since it would allow us to do more things in the world that matters to us, like talking to our uncle, but since it's not happening
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
[X] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)
I really want us to actually check out the principals to see if there's anything of note there

 

[Flaregamer82253]

[X] Return home, with Diary, Frangiclave, and something else besides. Or rather, someone. (End the dream, bringing Twilight Sparkle with you, and redistribute your remaining action points.)

I'm committed on Twilight. I won't mind spending one more action exploring to fulfill some wanderlust, but I think returning now would be an even better use of our time.

 

[Limabot]

[X] Return home, with Diary and Frangiclave, and fulfill your bargain with the Daughter-of-Axes. (End the dream, and redistribute your remaining action points.)
I feel that cutting this short, despite all the fancy dangling threads would be for the best since it would allow us to do more things in the world that matters to us, like talking to our uncle, but since it's not happening
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
[X] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)
I really want us to actually check out the principals to see if there's anything of note there

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Yeah, I would really like to speak with Uncle Steppes as well. A shame we probably won't be able to.

 

[Venerable Ro]

[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
[X] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)


I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is no good in-universe reason to immediately go all-in on an irrevocable decision. Axe is capable of reopening this mirror and we're about to be in very good graces with her. This is a decision that should be made with the informed consent of all involved, if only because the entire nation is in a state of heightened paranoia about body-snatching changelings and we do not need Celestia getting involved because someone reported her student acting very strangely.

Sci-Twi has no Moth remember, that's a meeting that will go poorly under current circumstances.

We've still got a meeting with Cadance scheduled for the greater turn, this is something we can and should discuss with her (Right along with the healing ritual).

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Yeah, I would really like to speak with Uncle Steppes as well. A shame we probably won't be able to.

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Eh, unless you think the dream-prodding paths take a total of four actions apiece, we should still be done in time to talk to Uncle Steppes and become a true Mafia Princess.

 

[Shaper47]

[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
[X] This place has a library. Go take a look.

Honestly, I think the real best thing to do is simply to accept that Velvet can't actually do anything to (directly) help Twilight anymore, and just accept that if she ever gets any better, it would be in the hooves of others; at most, Velvet can just give information that can help them make more informed decisions.

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Then maybe people should have voted to not poke Pandora's box with a stick again if they didn't intend to open it.

It's too late for this now, Velvet revealed the magic, made the offer and spent two actions on this. The actions would be wasted and things wouldn't go well for student Twilight if we stopped now.

 

[Limabot]

[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
[X] This place has a library. Go take a look.



Then maybe people should have voted to not poke Pandora's box with a stick again if they didn't intend to open it.

It's too late for this now, Velvet revealed the magic, made the offer and spent two actions on this. The actions would be wasted and things wouldn't go well for student Twilight if we stopped now.

Click to shrink...

To clarify, I personally never voted for those actions, and wanted to get off this track as soon as I saw where it would lead.

Also, the actions here don't have the same value as actions back in the real world. At worst, it would be 2/3 of an action wasted; not ideal, but not really anything to get wound up about in my opinion.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

pony Twilight is not in a good place. Velvet can't (directly) help right now. But she CAN enable other people to help.

Yes, those two semi-actions on Twilight were potentially wasted if we don't bring her back. To me, better wasting them that adding another major sin against our Twilight.

Click to shrink...

Pony Twilight does not want help from anybody. Cadance tried Shining tried, the other mane 6 tried she is refusing help. She could move back to castle, go somewhere else, face it Pony Twilight is not even trying to get better she choosing to die.

 

[Witherbrine2671]

[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
[X] This place has a library. Go take a look.

Let's got poke at the edges of this dream, surely nothing bad could happen?

 

[retrueno]

At this point I genuinely do not think there's anything that can be done to help Pony Twilight.

Honestly, I sincerely believe she going to the mirror and, likely, getting gaslighted into thinking she imagined all the equatria stuff would be better for her.

That way she didn't lose her horn, nor magic, nor family, she just thought she did.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Pony Twilight does not want help from anybody. Cadance tried Shining tried, the other mane 6 tried she is refusing help. She could move back to castle, go somewhere else, face it Pony Twilight is not even trying to get better she choosing to die.

Click to shrink...

A reminder that Cadance did not tell us how things went with Twilight. We have no clue how effective her visit was beyond the fact that Twilight has not spiralled enough to get caught up in the Wolf Cult. And if she was as suicidal as people were making her out to be, she would have been sucked into the Wolf Cult. The Wolf-Divided has an entire Name dedicated to the concept, after all.

 

[Limabot]

At this point I genuinely do not think there's anything that can be done to help Pony Twilight.

Honestly, I sincerely believe she going to the mirror and, likely, getting gaslighted into thinking she imagined all the equatria stuff would be better for her.

That way she didn't lose her horn, nor magic, nor family, she just thought she did.

Click to shrink...

No, no it wouldn't. Back when we first rescued Twilight, there was a roll to determine how much of her memory she would have lost under the torture of the Changelings and Copper's cult; from what I remember, this had a very large bonus to her memory roll, basically making it impossible for her to forget anything more than the last few months of her life. Thus, I think anything human doctors do to her short of outright lobotomizing her would fail at removing her memories of her Equestrian life (and that would probably just as bad to Twilight as whatever the cult was planning to do with her).

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

We're also showing a Grail Alicorn the results of a Grail/Forge Healing ritual this very turn. And she can very well bankroll the finest of Reagents and probably grab a Forge Artifact from the Royal Whatever without issue to pull off these healing miracles herself.

Not exactly the Alicorn I expected to launder Lores through, but if it works, it works, and I won't complain.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Also, the actions here don't have the same value as actions back in the real world. At worst, it would be 2/3 of an action wasted; not ideal, but not really anything to get wound up about in my opinion

Click to shrink...

This is actually something i have in mind as well. In fact, my thought process even gives it more consideration than just that.

The "sole" reason for your action expenditure was to get the Snekrament and the Key, and you succeeded. If only that had happed for the actions you spent so far, this would have already been a resounding success.

The other things that are happening or can happen arent just a bonus. They are an impossibility made manifest by the narrative implications of this.

So you didnt waste 2/3 of an action. You spent 2 actions on DoA's errand, and everything else is a bonus.

 

[DelightedOne]

We're also showing a Grail Alicorn the results of a Grail/Forge Healing ritual this very turn. And she can very well bankroll the finest of Reagents and probably grab a Forge Artifact from the Royal Whatever without issue to pull off these healing miracles herself.

Not exactly the Alicorn I expected to launder Lores through, but if it works, it works.

Click to shrink...

But she needs the levels for that and I don't think we have time to get her to a high enough Grail but we could ask her to pay for the ritual and a level 4 Reagent and have Selene do it in a disguise.

The 100 Forge/60 Grail DC becomes 70 Forge and 30 Grail with her General bonus so if we make a Forge 4 Reagent it goes down to 30 Forge and 30 Grail, her magic bonus should be 10 at the very least(Bird had Cadance roll with a 20 in Magic for a "In Which" but I'm not sure if that would apply for real). 80% chance each sounds good.

 

[Shaper47]

Still if people don't commit it's a waste of actions.

Which yes I know would make me completely right again and be something I'd hold over everyone who wasted more effort on Twilight but I don't want that.

The only thing I hate more then extremely foolish actions is the refusal to commit when the time comes. Once you make a commitment, the only direction you can go is forward. Decisiveness is crucial. A blade that is pulled backwards only risks cutting yourself.

 

[Clueless777]

I think our world's Twilight has a better chance than we think. Remember, Cadence had a conversation with Twilight that she didn't want to tell us about, and I wouldn't be surprised if Cadence had more talks with Twilight or brought in more people that we don't know about.

Additionally, like other people have said, I feel like swapping Twilight's would be a betrayal to Cadence and Shining Armor, taking away their family member without their knowledge. Just seems like a shitty thing to do to our friends.

 

[DelightedOne]

Once you make a commitment, the only direction you can go is forward. Decisiveness is crucial. A blade that is pulled backwards only risks cutting yourself.

Click to shrink...

Uh... no. Knowing when to stop is a great trait to have and one we really need to develop.

There is a difference between decisiveness and stubbornness.

 

[Venerable Ro]

The only thing I hate more then extremely foolish actions is the refusal to commit when the time comes. Once you make a commitment, the only direction you can go is forward. Decisiveness is crucial. A blade that is pulled backwards only risks cutting yourself.

Click to shrink...

I for one am committed, committed to doing it right instead of flailing around in a haze of blind reactivity because suddenly deadlines. Mirror Twilight is not going to implode if we tell her that this is a long-term project and we can't do everything this very second. A careful methodical approach will suit her scientific mien now that she's actually getting results. A blade handled recklessly cuts its owner and ruins the dish.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

But she needs the levels for that and I don't think we have time to get her to a high enough Grail but we could ask her to pay for the ritual and a level 4 Reagent and have Selene do it in a disguise.

The 100 Forge/60 Grail DC becomes 70 Forge and 30 Grail with her General bonus so if we make a Forge 4 Reagent it goes down to 30 Forge and 30 Grail, her magic bonus should be 10 at the very least(Bird had Cadance roll with a 20 in Magic for a "In Which" but I'm not sure if that would apply for real). 80% chance each sounds good.

Click to shrink...

Nonsense, you don't need personal levels if you have Artifacts. And uh, the Royals have plenty of Artifacts. We were offered one as a reward, even, though we went with other stuff instead.

 

[DelightedOne]

Nonsense, you don't need personal levels if you have Artifacts. And uh, the Royals have plenty of Artifacts. We were offered one as a reward, even, though we went with other stuff instead.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but you need to be Enlightened and know how to do a two-circle ritual or else you get Silky Stream's huge debuff or Velvet's blown up leg so Velvet will be doing some teaching either way.

I actually love the idea of Cadance healing Twilight and Shining Armor by herself. I'm just not sure if she can do it right with no lore knowledge.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

Reminder we voted to only promote the lores so any lore knowledge above what the burue is has, is flat out a no go full stop. On top of being limited to just the minor bit of knowledge the Burue has access.

Your looking at a good 4-5 turns to even cast any rituals openly, and another 4-5 turns before being willing to risk trying the FR on a pony that is on death door already. Their no reason the untalented director should be casting lore rituals either, when she has other better ponies for that. Velvet is ignorant of, and not talented at the lore is the story we have told.

 

[LieutenantSpirit]

Still if people don't commit it's a waste of actions.

Click to shrink...

That's the sunk-cost fallacy? Just because you put effort into something doesn't mean you have to see it through, especially if the result would only see you worse off.

 

[Shaper47]

That's the sunk-cost fallacy? Just because you put effort into something doesn't mean you have to see it through, especially if the result would only see you worse off.

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Sunk-cost fallacy was picking anything to do with Twilight in the first place.

Refusing to get a free confident for white-knighting reasons again is just snaching defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

I knew that picking Twilight option would in some way be about replacing pony twilight in some fashion.

Which is why I did not vote to start her chain, but now the actions have been spent, turning away the reward is just shooting yourself.

 

[Arrkhon]

Which is why I did not vote to start her chain, but now the actions have been spent, turning away the reward is just shooting yourself.

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Just because it's a path we have opened doesn't mean it's a path we should walk as well
Unless you are saying that we should also go for Wolf sacraments, I wouldn't mind it personally but I think they aren't too popular these days

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Reminder we voted to only promote the lores so any lore knowledge above what the burue is has, is flat out a no go full stop. On top of being limited to just the minor bit of knowledge the Burue has access.

Your looking at a good 4-5 turns to even cast any rituals openly, and another 4-5 turns before being willing to risk trying the FR on a pony that is on death door already. Their no reason the untalented director should be casting lore rituals either, when she has other better ponies for that. Velvet is ignorant of, and not talented at the lore is the story we have told.

Click to shrink...

Cadance isn't the Bureau, and our vote regarding how to launder the Lores to the Bureau have no bearing on her.

 

[IronHydra]

Did someone say Wolf Sacrament? I'll be real, as long as I don't mind the consequences too much, or at least see them as being worth it, I'm down to do one,
I know I know.....
plenty of people are against it for a multitude of reasons, many of them are probably, maybe, valid too, it just sucks that it tastes so good .

before recently, I haven't spoken or voted too awfully much, I did occasionally, but even before the quest made it's pilgrimage over here, I've lowkey been an undercover Wolf Cultist (Sorry not sorry)

I was actually introduced to Cultist Sim through this quest, I'd heard of it before, but never really knew anything about it or what it was like, so being shown how Bird writes Wolf stuff, and the other omakes or little bits of comments and ideas that have been thrown around made me enjoy it far too much to be honest.

The Mother of Wolves ending isn't something I'd necessarily want, as what was shown in that possible ending that was made quite a while ago, it only showed a peek of what the world could come too as a result of it.

I'm curious as to what our Velvet, after everything we've managed, and how she's changed and grown, and then that reaches the GLORY would be like if she could subvert or claim the position and replace the Divided.

Sorry if I rambled nonsense, just wanted to yap a bit

 

[Alan975]

While there is a not so insignificant chance that Cadance and Shining could take umbrage with this switch, remember that they would also get a Twilight that they never knew they could have. It wouldn't be a net loss.

And while it's not something we should plan for -both because it could be defunct lore and because Velvet has no idea- there's always Starswirl's mirror, so it's not as if we'd be throwing her through and tossing the key.

Did someone say Wolf Sacrament?

Click to shrink...

Would not be surprised if we have to birth a Son in the not so distant future, but after that it might be more palatable to start taking larger losses.